Great craft cocktails in an incredible and historic building. We got there right at opening so…read moreservice was very quick and happy hour was in full swing. We only got two drinks because we were on a time crunch but both were delicious. The space is very intimate and dimly lit, the perfect space for a craft cocktail.

Great cocktails, great spot with Excellent customer service…read more It has good atmosphere , we were there after Happy Hour on a First Thursday and the band playing jazz was a lot of fun. Right next to the Granada Theater Downtown Santa Barbara

Great cocktail bar in Santa Barbara! Sean took care of us and made us many delicious drinks. We…read morecame on a Tuesday (Farm to Bar) where you state a liquor and spicy or sweet and the rest is taken care of. Overall a lot of fun and all the drinks were creative and fun. Will definitely be back, thank you Bobcat! Didn't see food and parking can be a little rocky but if you Uber, you will have a great time! Definitely recommend!

The DJ Smooth Exchange is awesome. The spicy passion fruit margaritas were great. It was neat to…read moresee the outdoor lounge area too with the silent disco. The service here was great too and the manager Travis is so sweet he always remembers me and says hi.

Amazing bar with a highly skilled bartender (on a Tuesday night) who managed to deliver…read moreconsistently perfect cocktails with zero help, to a crowd. The cocktails are highly creative, diverse in flavor and design, and really could stand up to any you would find at a top cocktail bar in a major city. The exterior doesn't scream "must come in" but you absolutely should. Is it a tiki bar? Yes, but in the best way. And the bartender deserves applause for pulling off 3+ quite complex cocktails every 5 minutes off of memory and without any support.

Test Pilot lands somewhere in the orbit of tiki without fully crash-landing on a bamboo runway, and…read morehonestly, that works in its favor. In a stretch of Lower State packed with breweries, wine bars, and roaming weekend energy-drink humans in vintage bowling shirts, it threads the needle nicely between cocktail bar and tropical escape pod. The menu leans tiki-adjacent rather than deep-cut exotica, but the drinks are smartly built and avoid the "every problem can be solved with more rum" philosophy. There's a solid spread of spirits across the board, which makes the place feel more welcoming to a broader nightlife crowd instead of strictly rum disciples clutching vintage Trader Vic's mugs. The Oaxacan Dead was the standout for me. Smoky, balanced, endlessly sippable. One of those drinks where every sip quietly talks you into ordering another without turning into a sugar avalanche. The Jungle Bird was also great, though presented more in the direction of a Negroni than the punchier tropical versions you usually see. Bitter, restrained, and easy to settle into. Crowd-wise, things tilted a little frat-floaty as the night rolled on, but the staff handled everything smoothly and kept the vibe from turning into full pirate mutiny. Service stayed friendly and composed even when the volume of the room started climbing like a malfunctioning theremin. Big bonus points for the location and outdoor seating. Being right in the middle of Lower State makes it an easy launch point or final stop depending on your evening trajectory. Grab a drink, people-watch, drift between breweries and wine spots, repeat as necessary.

This place is so fun! Excellent atmosphere, and fun vibes. The pianist we saw was Jordon Frank and…read morehe was so much fun to watch and listen to. We'd planned to stay for one or two, listen to a few songs and move on to the next , but the entertainment was so good we stayed way longer than we initially intended and don't regret it a bit. I love the velvet curtains along the walls and disco ball above the beautiful red piano. What a vibe. I'm a fan!

Super funky and old eclectic style Victorian style building! Great live music for a weekday…read more Enjoyed the piano bar 2 man band! They played my favorite song! Love love loved the music!! Also the service was decent for a busy place! This place takes the cake for classy and sassy!! was actually really clean!!

If you're a local, this is the place to avoid. It's the "bridge and tunnel" club. Crowded, skeezy,…read morenot in the greatest state of repair, and so on. Though always skeptical of such consensus, unconsciously I bought into this for years. One day, a favorite bartender from another establishment wound up here. I started popping in early, more than a little wary, cautious to plan for an early departure. But slowly I got to know the other staff. The absolute nicest bunch of people in Santa Barbara. People I never went out of my way to befriend, who picked me out as a regular, showed me respect I never asked for, treated me with the utmost kindness even though I never did much to deserve it. Wildcat has become a place where I'm comfortable walking in, even on a busy Friday or Saturday night; and know I'll be valued, respected, and protected, even by people I barely know. And also served the absolute coldest draft beer in the city except for Lure which closes at 10. This sounds like an ad but I swear it's the damn truth. Be prepared to wait in line. The line is part of the fun. These are your fellow patrons, after all. Your friends and neighbors. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Do you want to have the best night of your life? If the answer is yes, this is your spot. Jello…read moreshot syringes, warm hospitality and a DJ that throws down tunes that would make Stephen Hawkins nod his head. Yes please! Good vibes only!

Honestly one of the best food experiences I've ever had. The chicken shawarma wrap was divine and I…read moreworry I'll never have food this good again now that it's gone.

Honestly... save your money…read more I dropped by this Jordanian restaurant /hookah lounge to chill for a bit, have a beer, and enjoy some hookah. It looked like a cool vibe from the outside, but the whole experience left me super disappointed. When I walked in, the place was empty--just the owner and two staff. No greeting, no welcome, just awkward silence while the owner stayed on the phone trying to fix what sounded like a billing issue. The staff didn't speak much English (which is fine), but there was no real effort to help or explain anything either. Eventually, I got a hookah and a beer--$48.50 for one hookah and one beer. Yeah... nearly $50. No food, no extras. That's wild. Then I was told I had to smoke outside on the back patio, which turned out to be a tiny little corner--maybe 6 by 10 feet--with uncomfortable chairs and a random wood bench. It took 15 minutes to even get the hookah (remember, no one else was there), and when it arrived, it was totally burnt. Overpacked, harsh hits, and I ended up having to scrape it and fix it myself just to get it to smoke right. Wanna know the kicker? You only get three coals. That's it. No refills unless you pay for more. No one checked on us for almost an hour, and when I finally asked for more coals, they said (in broken English and mostly Spanish) that that's all you get unless you pay extra. I've smoked hookah all over the place--three coals is nothing, especially when you're charging $35+. No one came around, no vibe, no music, no nothing. Just me, my burnt hookah, and a beer that wasn't even cold. I really tried to find something redeeming about this place, but nothing hit. The service wasn't there, the product wasn't good, and it honestly felt like I was bothering them just by being there. Bottom line: for $50, you can do way better just about anywhere else--or even at home. Hope they turn it around, but for now, I wouldn't recommend it.

My husband and I came here on our honeymoon and had an unforgettable experience! We had the best…read moretable with a sunset view of the ocean on the upper floor patio. We got a bottle of champagne and had delicious appetizers and food. The service was amazing! It's rare to find a waterfront restaurant that also has stellar food and reasonable prices. Usually all you get is a good view. But oku is totally different! They do it all! My husband doesn't like raw fish so it was awesome to have a place that had a wide selection of cooked proteins and sushi too. I can't wait to come back! I wish we lived closer. It will be a lifelong memory. Richard, Tina and our server made us feel so special.

Food: We ordered several sushi rolls, edamame, and the puffed rice butter lettuce salad. Food was…read moreamazing! I especially loved the salad, so refreshing! Service: poorer on this end unfortunately. We sat for 15 minutes with no one checking on us or providing water. I had to call for someone. And then one of our drinks was forgotten. And had to call over again to refill waters :/ Ambiance: it's nice especially if you get a table that has the water view. If I visit Santa Barbara again, I'd come back.

Long overdue review for this not so hidden gem…read more Rodeo Room offers amazing craft cocktails, delicious bites, and a killer happy hour 5-6pm. Did you also know there's also omakase? On Sunday (1 seating) and Monday (2 seatings), Rodeo Room transforms into a delicious (and affordable) omakase consisting of delicious bites of sushi and ends with a twist on a bar bite and dessert. Optional cocktail pairing (worth it!). The ambiance gives off a dark classy take on a classic bar setting. Service is friendly and the sushi chef prepares the food right where you can see (depending on where you are seated). I recommend the bar top vs table, unless with a larger group. Limited seating so be sure to make a reso in advance!

Friendly staff Really Dark Room that's still really cute!…read more Cauliflower Tacos recommended and the Laid Back cocktail yummy